The Way the Cookies Crumble
by darkorangecat
Summary: A rather whimsical look at life for Cookie Monster off the set of Sesame Street as he befriends and aids a heartsick Spinelli.


**Disclaimer:** The characters portrayed in this work of fiction are not my own, they belong respectively to their creators and original writers.

**A/N:** A bit of craziness and improbability.

* * *

He likes cookies, always has, more than likely always will no matter what concerned parent's groups or producers say. Sure, he'll eat their carrots and green beans and go all vegetarian for the show, but at home, where he can relax and be himself, it'll be nothin' but cookies. Chocolate chip, macadamia nut, Oreos, snicker doodles, sugar, oatmeal raisin, butterscotch, m&m, and the crème de la crème – monster cookies.

When he rounds the corner to his street, he can almost smell them. His mouth waters in anticipation of the sweet treats and his furry feet fairly fly over the pavement. Home, almost home. His stomach growls and a matching growl rumbles from his mouth, startling an innocent passerby. His smile, an almost grisly grimace only serves to frighten the young, dark-haired woman to quicken her pace until she sighs in relief when she can no longer see him.

He pulls the door to Harbor View Towers and mutters a harried, "Rerro," to the attendant as he rushes through the lobby and to the elevator. Impatiently he pushes the 'Up' button and taps his foot as he waits for the doors which will bring him to his cookie haven.

Almost there, he can already feel the chocolate melting in his mouth. His toes curl in sweet expectation as the doors open and he is almost home free to indulge his inner fantasies he'd held at bay all day long. It's why he chose to leave the cozy apartment on the street he'd lived on his whole life, the freedom to satiate his sweet tooth without friendly neighbor recrimination which left him with nothing but indigestion since the new healthy eating movement took over along with the 'Go Green' agenda. Not that he had anything against it, but he had grown tired of being an outcast and being judged by his well-meaning friends who were concerned about his unhealthy eating habits.

As a matter of fact it was Grover and an ill-timed 'intervention' which drove him to relocate. It had all been done under the guise of a party and by the end of an hour, Cookie Monster was glad that Oscar taken up the invitation to come as he'd chased them all out. He'd rewarded the ill-tempered grouch with a half a plate of moldy crumbs which the muppet had stoically attempted to refuse, but had taken with ill-humor.

He'd said his adioses and moved to Port Charles, a city just a short commute away from Sesame Street. That way, he could eat as healthily as was dictated, but also eat his cookies too. It was the best of both worlds for him and so far, his friends had pretty much left him alone and stopped hassling him about his cookie cravings.

He groans in frustration as a sneaker-clad foot wedges itself between the closing doors of the elevator, forcing them open just as they were about to close and bring him up to his refuge. A scraggly, lank young man enters and all but collapses onto the floor of the elevator car as the doors swoosh shut. He is breathing heavily and clutching, white-knuckled, at a strap around his chest. He raises glazed green eyes to his and Cookie Monster swallows down his hunger, knowing that the young man needs help and that no one else is around to administer it.

Instead of shouting out a garbled, "Me want cookie!" He manages a soft, though distorted, "You okay?" Knowing that the young man is not okay.

A tear trails down the boy's cheek and Cookie Monster closes the gap between them. He brushes away the tear with a furry hand and gives him one of his warbled smiles.

"Co…cookie Mon..ster?" The boy hiccups, blinking his eyes in wonderment.

He nods and pats the boy on the back awkwardly. "What your name?" He asks gruffly.

"Sp...Spinelli." The boy offers a watery smile and leans into Cookie Monster's clumsy embrace.

"There, there," Cookie Monster soothes as he strokes the boy's disheveled hair.

"Th…thank you," the boy's voice hitches as a fresh onslaught of tears threaten to take over.

"What happen?"

"I…I…" the words refuse to come. Spinelli looks up at the blue-furred monster and smiles in spite of how much it feels like his heart is going to break. He's lost his mentor and the woman he vowed to love 'til the end of time all in one fell swoop. Nothing can make any of it better and yet, here he is, sitting on the floor of an elevator, waiting for it to take him to the penthouse which houses nothing but heartache and sorrowful memories for him, gaining comfort from a childhood icon.

The elevator dings, marking the end of the upward journey for the fur-covered monster. Cookie Monster pauses, his eyes darting longingly toward the open door and yet resting upon the lonely boy in the elevator. Grumbling beneath his breath, he hoists the reluctant boy to his feet and pulls him out the closing doors.

Spinelli's feet are dragging as he is pulled along the corridor to the monster's penthouse, but he allows himself to be led, barely controls the movements of his feet. Cookie Monster fumbles with his keys, barely managing to open the door while supporting his human companion.

A heavenly odor engulfs the unseemly duo and Spinelli's eyes pop. His stomach growls appreciatively as Cookie Monster leads the way to his kitchen and gestures for the boy to sit at the counter. Digging through the cupboards he pulls out two glasses and plates, pours the obligatory milk and places several different kinds of cookies on each plate. He shoves a plate of cookies and a glass of milk at Spinelli.

"Me eat cookie, you eat cookie." He nods at the boy. "It all be okay."

Nodding, Spinelli gives the blue monster a half smile and digs in, savoring the way the chocolate melts in his mouth and washing it down with milk.


End file.
